Frisco’s culinary scene just earned some serious bragging rights. Palato Italian Kitchen and Lounge, tucked inside the sleek HALL Park Hotel, was named the #8 Best Hotel Restaurant in the country by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2025. Even better? It’s the only Texas spot to make the list.
The annual ranking celebrates the very best in food, travel and lifestyle, spotlighting hotel restaurants that deliver far more than room service. According to USA Today, the winners are the places that “go the extra mile with superior service and one-of-a-kind touches.”
From Morning Lattes To Nighttime Pastas
Since opening in October 2024, Palato has become a destination for both locals and out-of-towners. By morning, the restaurant serves handcrafted lattes and housemade pastries. By night, it transforms into a wine lover’s paradise with artisan pizzas, handmade pastas and, of course, steaks — this is Texas after all.
For weekday diners, there’s even a $20 express lunch — soup or salad, half a sandwich and dessert — proving high-quality dining doesn’t have to mean a three-hour affair.
Meet The Chef Behind The Magic
Executive Chef Eric Sakai brings more than a decade of culinary chops to Palato. His résumé includes stints at Michelin-starred San Francisco spots Rubicon and Acquerello, the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole and closer to home, the Ritz-Carlton Dallas and Las Colinas. He also spent two years in Italy, refining his approach to regional flavors.
Sakai’s team includes a full food-and-beverage crew plus an on-site cheesemonger curating selections from around the globe. Together, they’ve built a menu designed to impress on both date night and Tuesday lunch.
A Menu That Travels Across Italy
The menu is a love letter to Italy, with dishes that transport diners from the northern hills of Piedmont to the coastal flavors of Liguria. Highlights include:
- Fritelle di baccala – Ligurian-style salt cod fritters
- Bigoli with Valpolicella braised duck – a pasta dish from Veneto
- Bonet – a Piedmontese dessert with dark chocolate, amaretti, rum and pistachio
- Hearth-roasted seasonal fruit gelato – made with local farm milk and Calabrian chestnut honey
On the cocktail side, Palato gets playful with four categories: spritz, shaken, stirred and garibaldi. Standouts include the “Oasis of Venice” spritz with roasted pineapple syrup and prosecco, and the “Sicilian Breakfast” garibaldi made with blood orange juice.
Dining, Frisco-Style
Beyond the menu, the restaurant’s design brings the experience full circle. Guests can watch the chefs at work in the exhibition-style kitchen, sip wine at the central bar, or relax on the spacious patio. The lounge next door sets the mood for happy hours and late-night cocktails.
Frisco Joins the National Stage
Palato now stands shoulder to shoulder with acclaimed hotel restaurants from Atlantic City to Pismo Beach. Landing at #8 on a national list that celebrates the very best proves that Frisco is more than just sports and shopping — it’s a destination for world-class dining.
- Kuro (Atlantic City, NJ)
- Chez Philippe (Memphis, TN)
- The Wharf Restaurant (Madison, CT)
- T. Cooks (Phoenix, AZ)
- The Left Bank (Weston, VT)
- Mohonk Mountain House (New Paltz, NY)
- The Shipwrites Daughter (Mystic, CT)
- Palato Italian Kitchen & Lounge (Frisco, TX)
- The Social House (Greenough, MT)
- Lido Restaurant & Lounge (Pismo Beach, CA)
For locals, it’s a chance to skip the plane ticket and savor a taste of Italy right in their backyard.
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